London stocks ended Friday, 12 December 2025, on a cautiously constructive note at the index level—even as several high-profile shares posted sharp one-day declines. The FTSE 100 finished higher at 9,744.48 (+0.43%), while the FTSE 250 also gained to 21,972.57 (+0.55%), reflecting a “risk-on” tilt led by cyclicals and financials. [1]
But under the surface, the UK market’s biggest stock losers today were dominated by a familiar mix: profit warnings, analyst downgrades, and smaller-cap volatility—all unfolding against a macro backdrop of unexpectedly weak UK growth data that strengthened expectations for a Bank of England rate cut next week. [2]
What moved the UK market today: GDP surprise, sterling dip, and rising BoE cut expectations
The day’s defining macro headline was the UK growth miss. Official data showed the UK economy contracted by 0.1% in October, and also shrank 0.1% over the three months to October, extending the run of stagnation into the period just before the government’s late-November budget. The weakness was driven by declines in services and construction, with retail performance notably poor. [3]
Markets reacted in the way they often do to soft data late in the cycle: rate-cut expectations increased. Reuters reported that markets were pricing roughly a 90% probability of a Bank of England cut at its 18 December meeting, while sterling dipped and bond prices rose. [4]
Globally, investor sentiment also had support from the broader risk backdrop: European shares were firmer, helped by banks, while “defensive” pockets such as consumer staples and healthcare were among the laggards—an important clue to why some heavyweight FTSE names ended in the red. [5]
Biggest stock losers today on the London Stock Exchange (all shares)
Across London-listed shares, the steepest percentage declines were led by smaller-cap and AIM names, alongside one standout consumer stock hit by a major guidance reset.
Below are the most notable fallers by percentage on the day, based on London South East market data (prices in GBX): [6]
- Argo Blockchain (ARB): 0.90, -23.81%
- Eqtec (EQT) : 0.11 , -22.54%
- Card Factory (CARD): 74.80, -22.41%
- Oracle Power (ORCP): 0.0375, -16.67%
- Latour Investment (0RQP): 224.60, -14.52%
- Fishing (FKE) : 70.00 , -12.50%
- Haydale (HAYD) : 0.55 , -8.33%
- Boohoo (DEBS): 23.00, -8.00%
- GEO Exploration (GEO): 0.245, -7.55%
- Premier African Minerals (PREM): 0.0325, -7.14% [7]
Spotlight: Card Factory’s profit warning drives one of the sharpest drops
Among the day’s biggest movers, Card Factory stood out because the sell-off was clearly tied to fresh fundamentals.
The retailer issued a profit warning, citing soft high-street footfall and pressured consumer confidence during a crucial trading period. It now expects annual adjusted pretax profit of £55m–£60m, a meaningful downgrade versus earlier expectations (previous guidance referenced around £70m). Reuters reported the shares were down around 27%, hitting a multi-year low in the move. [8]
The warning landed the same morning as the GDP miss, reinforcing a central market narrative for the day: UK consumer-facing businesses remain sensitive to confidence and discretionary spending, even while the broader index stayed supported by rate-cut hopes. [9]
FTSE 100 biggest fallers today: defensives and domestic names lag
Despite the headline FTSE 100 gain, the “losers list” shows a clear pattern: consumer staples, healthcare, and domestically exposed names struggled—consistent with the wider European session where defensives underperformed. [10]
Here are the FTSE 100 top fallers (prices delayed): [11]
- Whitbread (WTB): -1.33% (2,376.00)
- British American Tobacco (BATS): -1.03% (4,340.00)
- Unilever (ULVR) : -0.91% (4,809.50)
- AstraZeneca (AZN) : -0.88% (10,592.00)
- Tesco (TSCO): -0.81% (442.40)
- ConvaTec (CTEC): -0.79% (227.40)
- Haleon (HLN): -0.72% (358.85)
- Rightmove (RMV): -0.64% (530.60)
- Hikma Pharmaceuticals (HIK): -0.55% (1,976.00)
- United Utilities (UU.): -0.51% (1,168.00) [12]
Why Whitbread led FTSE 100 fallers: broker downgrade pressure
Whitbread’s decline came as analysts continued to reframe the hotel operator’s near-term setup. On Friday, Jefferies cut Whitbread to “Hold” from “Buy” and slashed its price target to 2,100p from 3,100p, pointing to UK market headwinds including weak RevPAR growth and cost inflation pressures. [13]
That downgrade matters for an index heavyweight: broker target reductions can act as a “gravity” trade, especially in sessions where investors are rotating exposures and looking for reasons to trim positions. [14]
FTSE 250 biggest fallers today: investment trusts and downgrades in focus
The mid-cap FTSE 250 was higher on the day overall, but its biggest losers were led by Vietnam-focused investment vehicles and a cluster of UK-listed names facing either weaker sentiment or negative broker calls.
Top FTSE 250 fallers included: [15]
- Vietnam Enterprise Investments (VEIL): -3.32% (247.50)
- Currys (CURY) : -2.62% (123.20)
- Playtech (PTEC): -2.20% (290.00)
- Pantheon Infrastructure (PINT): -1.82% (71.40)
- VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund (VOF): -1.32% (474.50)
- Genus (GNS): -0.98% (2,540.00)
- SDCL Efficiency Income Trust (SEIT): -0.96% (51.95)
- Prices (KNOS) : -0.92% (1,072.00)
- Rank Group (RNK): -0.91% (93.65)
- Pennon (PNN) : -0.77% (517.00) [16]
Playtech and Pennon: broker calls land on a fragile tape
Several FTSE 250 fallers were in the crosshairs of fresh broker positioning:
- Morgan Stanley cut Playtech to “Underweight” with a 215p price target. [17]
- JPMorgan cut Pennon to “Neutral” (from Overweight) and lowered its price target to 565p from 600p. [18]
Even on a positive index day, downgrades can push stocks toward the bottom of the leaderboard—particularly when investors are already selective about exposure in rate-sensitive utilities, infrastructure, and consumer-related names. [19]
Other UK corporate updates investors watched today
While “biggest losers today” is the headline, the broader UK session included a number of corporate updates that shaped sector-level positioning and sentiment:
- Capita published a trading update noting sales growth eased in the second half, and it also moved forward on the handover of legacy contracts—while maintaining profitability expectations. [20]
- A pre-market “factors to watch” briefing also flagged deal and company news flow across names including Aberdeen and other large caps. [21]
This matters because, on days when the index is steady, single-stock newsflow becomes the main driver of dispersion—and dispersion is exactly what creates “biggest losers” lists.
Outlook and forecasts: what happens next for UK stocks after 12 December 2025?
The next major inflection point is the Bank of England decision on 18 December. After Friday’s GDP surprise, markets leaned more heavily toward near-term easing, with Reuters citing roughly 90% odds of a cut. [22]
At the same time, not all forward-looking signals are outright negative. Reuters noted the CBI slightly raised its 2026 growth forecast to 1.3% from 1.0%, while also cautioning that underlying structural issues remain. [23]
For equity investors, the practical “watch list” coming out of today’s losers is straightforward:
- UK consumer health: Profit warnings like Card Factory’s keep attention on footfall, confidence, and discretionary spend into the final stretch of the holiday season. [24]
- Analyst-driven repricing: Downgrades and target cuts (Whitbread, Playtech, Pennon, plus utility rating changes) can continue to shape short-term moves even without new company statements. [25]
- Sector rotation: With global markets leaning “risk-on,” defensives may remain prone to drifting lower on days when banks and cyclicals lead. [26]
References
1. www.hl.co.uk, 2. www.reuters.com, 3. www.reuters.com, 4. www.reuters.com, 5. www.reuters.com, 6. www.lse.co.uk, 7. www.lse.co.uk, 8. www.reuters.com, 9. www.reuters.com, 10. www.reuters.com, 11. www.hl.co.uk, 12. www.hl.co.uk, 13. www.investing.com, 14. www.lse.co.uk, 15. www.hl.co.uk, 16. www.hl.co.uk, 17. www.lse.co.uk, 18. www.lse.co.uk, 19. www.lse.co.uk, 20. www.reuters.com, 21. www.tradingview.com, 22. www.reuters.com, 23. www.reuters.com, 24. www.reuters.com, 25. www.lse.co.uk, 26. www.reuters.com
